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I plan on doing some cruzing in my brat this winter with a canopy on back.The problem I have is when i stop for the night I don't feel like crawling into the COLD canopy where all my bedding is cold as well.So I end up at a motel spending waaaaay to much $$. So my plan is to some how heat the bed up.One thought is to plumb in a heater core or a small radeator.Thats do able but kind of involved.Or using some 4" dryer tubing that I could plumb to the defroster on the passenger side to a hole cut in the back wall. Or ??? Any ideas. I'm too old to freeze my duff off crawling around in the back of a unheated "camper" haha. so has anyone tried something like this? thanks,Todd:banana:

Don't you have to worry about fumes if you're in the bed with the engine running? An electrical heater of some sort seems like a good idea, maybe with a battery tender hooked up to the battery as well. I know nothing of camping/campers though, I imagine there's a wealth of solutions.

Toyota 4Runners had a little heater core/blower unit that was mounted in the center console for rear heat (my '87 SR5 had one). It would be very easy to use in another location. It just needs 12v and a couple 1/2" (IIRC) lines from the engine.

Mine never worked, as the lines going to it rusted out and were bypassed long before I bought the truck....

Thanks for getting back to me.I once tried a 12 heater and wasn't too happy with it.But that was 10 years ago.Mabey things have changed. I plumbed in a heater core into a 1947 international bread van.If done right it would work.The most important part was to bleed it from the highest part of the tubing.We worked on it and couldn't get it warm.A friends dad showed us how to bleed the air out of the lines.After that it worked great.We now had defrost and heat ... Most school buses have hot water heaters in them.We always raced to get the hot spot on the bus. So as far as using the dryer tubeing ,no thoughts? I thought if i removed the tube that goes to the passenger defrost from the heater assembly.i might be able to get "major air" back there. I only need the back warm till I get settled in and I should be good.No,It wouldn't be a good idea to leave it idle for heating.That would be bad...so any thoughts?

Hmm,I had thought of that as well.I was worried that it might weaken things.Was it beefed up any where to add strength? That would be great as I'm tall and the extra room would be great.....Hmmmmm Anyone else seen that? Thanks.....also the toyota heating unit would be good as well.I thought of installing a radeator in the back and box it in with expanded steel or framing of some sort.I'll look into that toyota one ,a lot less work...Again,Thanks

If you have a little money, I'd do a 110v adapter and a second battery. its not terribly expensive and its very convenient. the second battery isnt needed, but its nice since you can leave stuff on and not worry about whether your car will start.

that way you have access to generic accessories like a small ceramic heater, tools, lights, etc.

Id do a wired in version with its own fuse, but they make cig lighter adaptors as well. I think a heater would be too much for the cig lighter though.

depending on how cold it got in your region, you could have a false wooden floor with copper or aluminium pipes under it. this would run off the radiator system with a heater tap to turn it off when not in use.

I plan on doing some cruzing in my brat this winter with a canopy on back.The problem I have is when i stop for the night I don't feel like crawling into the COLD canopy where all my bedding is cold as well.So I end up at a motel spending waaaaay to much $$. So my plan is to some how heat the bed up.One thought is to plumb in a heater core or a small radeator.Thats do able but kind of involved.Or using some 4" dryer tubing that I could plumb to the defroster on the passenger side to a hole cut in the back wall. Or ??? Any ideas. I'm too old to freeze my duff off crawling around in the back of a unheated "camper" haha. so has anyone tried something like this? thanks,Todd:banana:

If you have a little money, I'd do a 110v adapter and a second battery. its not terribly expensive and its very convenient. the second battery isnt needed, but its nice since you can leave stuff on and not worry about whether your car will start.

I agree with the dual battery setup! They work a treat if you put the time and effort into a decent setup. You could even run an electric blanket with an inverter then, but the inverter would have to be a big one I'd imagine for the electric blanket!

The other thing is to look into how they heat the campers in Canada - I know my sister's camper she had over there had some sort of heater setup that was independent to the car's battery system. Probably ran on gas some how.

I know some of these ideas probably won't work for you as you'll be on a budget, but for the sake of sharing ideas I've added them in here anyway

No ideas about taking out the wall in between the cab and the bed??? That would be great if it didn't weakin things up too much. Or I think I will try the 4" dryer tube and if that dosn't work out i'll go for a water heater of sorts back there.I once used my brother-in-laws Jeep pick up.It had a great 12 heater in it.I had never heard of such a thing till i used his truck.Dead of winter ,start the truck and in seconds HOT air blowin out.I couldn't believe it,thinking how could it warm up so fast.Then was told it was electric.I think it was a 1970's model. anyway thanks again.i'll get it ready for this Great Northwet winter weather..haha:banana:

Hey Bennie ,Thanks for the info on 'Ute Swags... Look good execpy i have a canopy "glued" on to my brat.its there for good. I will have to look into those 12 volt heaters,Mabey they have improved over the years.Now something like that jeep heater would do a great job.Anyone heard of those? take care,Todd

i saw a 84 brat once it is wired with a 110v plug at the back of the bed for the canopy for the lights on it, which would work for you to plug a heater in, i think if you want to cut the back part go for it u might want to put a support bar in but i dont think it will effect anything because most the support is on the bottom unibody frame and in the panels the part your thinking of cutting out is more for sealing up the cab but on the other hand this 86 brat i toore apart could be yours without that there, i would defantly put in a roll bar typle thing if i did it

http://ing 016You know the converter would be a overkill for what i want to do.i don't want to heat it for the night ,just warm enough to get undressed and in the sack without freezing my duff off.It just happened enough that instead of crawling in the back i grab a cheap motel..$$$ so what would be great is to open her up and then the whole area would be warm enough to get to bed and have alot more room to streach out in.So just take a sawzal and buzz down both sides and then bend the flap back into the bed for extra support.I could bolt that down and smooth it out or is that too much? And then get a roll bar of sorts. Has any one done this.i sure would like to see a "proto type" before i plug in the sawzal!! I also have a Cruze control i got from down under.. A AP 60 from Auto piolet?? Has anyone installed one on a Gen 1 or is an 1984 a gen 2?? Its a 1800 pushrod without turbo,stick. or should this question be in a different spot. so back to the main subject.....some pictures of a opened up brat would be great.Thanks again,Todd

if it were me i would cut the center section of the back wall out, but leave a foot or so on either side intact, then weld or bolt a support to the upper corners of the window frame. shouldnt be difficult and will add a bit of support.

Id probably just cut it straight and put those plastic door edge guards on the ends to keep them from being sharp. grind down the bottom till its smooth.

have you thought about picking up a wagon? I dont know how partial you are to the brat, but you can get a wagon with a blown gasket or something cheap, and just throw your engine in it. all the comforts and room, no modding to do it.

for the time being until you get it cut or whatever, get a small propane heater burner. just put it on a coleman bottle, shouldn't take much.

My 80 Brat with the wall out was from california, someone done it, it had a factory white rollbar in side the high topper canopy even the inside top of canopy was carpeted, there was no rough edges to be found, probaly 6 years ago there was another gen 1 brat for sale in Oregon that had the exact same setup.. Cut that sucker buy a heater that plugs into cig lighter and your a campin fool......

A few years back I did use a 88 wagon for cruzin.It worked great,it just isn't as cool as a brat..haha I wish i had a "cadaver" to practice on before I cut into my brat..I may try the dryer vent hose first and see if that warms it up back there enough.That way I'm not getting too "carried away". (I wonder where that term came from?) I only need to warm it up back there a few nights as i plan on going to the desert in southern Califorina and its the drive there and back where i to crash in the back to save $$.I used to love winter camping but now that I'm older......Bring on the sunshine!!! thanks again,Todd the desert rat!!

Just removing the rear window would accomplish more than the dryer hose. I would think that long of tube with that diameter would not work well with a weak forced air system.

removing the window and/or installing a slider would let you build up the heat in the back. would mean less efficient heating, but so would cutting the back out. at least if its not enough you just have to put the window back and start over.